Welcome!

Girls United is a school-based primary prevention and intervention program delivered by the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society...

It is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of pre-teen and adolescent girls.

Girls United fosters the safe and healthy emotional development of young girls by strengthening their sense of connection, belonging and resiliency. This program provides an opportunity for girls to live safer, healthier lives and fulfill their rights to freedom from violence, exploitation and abuse.

Our collaborative model works with students, schools and community to provide a free program that meets the developmental needs of at-risk adolescent girls from Peachland to Lake Country.

Program Details

Girls United provides a strength-based, resiliency program that is developmentally and culturally conscientious...

Group members use critical thinking skills to dissect media and social influences, establish a healthy body image, improve self esteem and insight, connect with one another, identify healthy relationships, understand sexuality and learn how to self soothe and where to go for support.

Our Early Empowerment program is customized for girls in grades six and seven. Eight sessions of experiential learning with focus on critical thinking, self-soothing, and connecting with each other in positive ways is followed two sessions that focus on staying safe, sexual assault prevention and mentor development.

Both modules of the Early Empowerment program combine to create the robust ten-week Girls United program that is adapted for adolescents in grade eight and nine. The combined ten-session curriculum covers the following topics:

Self Awareness

Self Esteem & Body Image

Media/Gender Issues

Healthy Relationships

Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution & Boundaries

Social Media and Cyberbullying

Healthy Sexuality

Sexual Exploitation & Abuse

Party & Street Smarts

Emotional Wellness, Your Journey Ahead

Specialized professionals with trauma-informed training deliver both the Early Empowerment and Girls United programs. The curriculum utilizes evidence-based approaches for preventing sexual abuse and exploitation.Session content is flexible in order to meet the needs and developmental level of the group, with each session created to provide information, discussion, and experiential activities. Multimedia, art therapy, and/or self-regulating activities are integrated into each session.

By delivering this program in a school setting, we eliminate barriers and ensure that the girls who can most benefit from the program will have access to it. This allows us to facilitate girl’s connection with one another at school to improve long term outcomes and follow-up potential.

Facilitators

Meet the empowerific Girls United program facilitators...

Specialized professionals with trauma-informed training deliver both the Early Empowerment and Girls United programs.

Lindsay Hammond

Program Facilitator

Lindsay has been with the Elizabeth Fry Society since 2014.
Her passion is to empower young girls to recognize and embrace their strengths and to confidently safely go into the world.
The young women who are privileged to be part of Girl’s United thrive in the atmosphere and give glowing feedback about their experience with Lindsay.

Contact

For more information...

If you would like more information or are interested in bringing the Girls United or Early empowerment program to your school, please contact us!

Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society

The Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society (“E Fry”) is a trusted charity that is dedicated to advancing the safety, legal rights & economic security of women & children. Our children and adolescent programs provide the education and enhancement of key protective factors identified as reducing risk in girls and young women.